1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an automatic system for handling and cooling castings.
2. Prior Art
Automatic foundries find use in high volume applications, for example, in the manufacture of automotive engine castings. In some instances two or more different castings may be made on the same line, requiring different cooling cycles. Where the casting is complex is shape, with varying wall thickness, controlled cooling is critical to the casting quality. On a typical conveying line for cooling castings, the cycle time is limited for all castings to the cooling time required by the slowest to cool. This often makes the mixing of different castings on the same line inpractical. Moreover, a conveying line of sufficient length is required to allow adequate time for cooling. Where this time is substantial, a large number of mold cars for carrying the castings is required.
Also, with complex castings, it is best to cool the casting within the sand cake in which it is made. Attempts to remove castings and sand cakes from mold cars and flasks while maintaining the integrity of the sand cake have not been very successful. As a result, where castings have been removed from the mold cars and flasks for cooling, the metallurgic quality has usually suffered.
From the above, it will be apparent that a need exists for the handling of molds in an automatic foundry in a way that allows a variable cooling period and that allows automated handling of castings and sand cakes without adversely affecting the quality of the casting.